Heading Out!!!!!!

So, tomorrow is the day - I have been so excited about this for months and it is finally here.  I cannot believe it!  I'm packed (for the most part), started taking my malaria meds (blah - they make me a little nauseous, please pray that goes away - I have to take it for 47 days), have a ton of books to read, have my cameras charged and ready and downloaded some music and movies for my journey.

I had a great weekend - spent time with my family on Sunday celebrating my dad's birthday and today hanging with my sister & brother-in-law and getting hugs from my parents before I leave (please pray for my parents - I know they are worried about me - as most parents would be - I guess you never get too old for your parents to worry about you and I love that about them).  I also had a fun weekend with my friends too - went to our usual hot spot - the $1 movies to see "Knight and Day" (here is your Monday movie review - blah - stupid - don't waste your time), rented "Bounty Hunter" (just ok) and went to my friend, Mayfield's parents to hear about his sister's experiences as an english teacher in China (she is doing great work for the Kingdom there - pray for her as she goes back to China to teach English on Sunday).  And tonight my some of my sweet girl friends from church met me for dinner for my final Alabama meal for awhile - we hit my favorite hot spot - Wing's.  So, it was a great final weekend with everyone for a few weeks!

Ok - here are some last minute details for you before I head out... :)
I will be updating my blog (as long as I have wi-fi) and my facebook. I will have my sdea email and my bellsouth email as well (so if you have my email address - email away). I can receive text messages for free (so text away - I'd love to hear from you) but it costs me .50 to send - so please do not be offended if I do not respond to your text. If you have it, message me and I will give you my skype name and my aol instant messenger name. There is an 8 hour time difference but I have a feeling I will be up some nights late (late in Africa, early for Alabama) trying to get used to the time). You can track my flights and see where we are (if you are that bored) on flightaware.com - just type in the airline and flight # - its pretty cool (my itinerary is below).

I'm super excited and I know its going to be a once in a lifetime trip. I know God is going to do huge things in the lives of the people AND in my life too!! Know I'll be praying for you back home. I can't wait to tell you all about it on the blog and show you pictures!! 

Thanks for the prayers!
Gina :)


Here is my flight info (all times are local to the city I will be in)...

Depart
Delta 4957 Birmingham 8/17 - 10:00 a.m.
Arrive
Atlanta 8/17 - 12:04 p.m.
Depart
Delta 238 Atlanta 8/17 - 5:20 p.m.
Arrive
Amsterdam 8/18 - 8:15 a.m.
Depart
Delta 9600 Amsterdam 8/18 - 10:30 a.m.
Arrive
Johannesburg 8/18 - 9:25 p.m.
Depart
SAA 8827 Johannesburg 8/19 - 9:30 a.m.
Arrive
Nelspruit 8/19 - 10:25 a.m.

Depart
SAA 8842 Nelspruit 8/31 - 1:35 p.m. (13:35)
Arrive
Johannesburg 8/31 - 2:30 p.m. (14:30)
Depart
Delta 8513 Johannesburg 8/31 - 7:30 p.m.
Arrive
Paris-De Gaulle 9/01 - 6:05 a.m.
Depart
Delta 8504 Paris-De Gaulle 9/01 - 10:40 a.m.
Arrive
Atlanta 9/01 - 2:05 p.m.
Depart
Delta 5493 Atlanta 9/01 - 3:30 p.m.
Arrive
Birmingham 9/01 - 3:24 p.m.

Movie Review Monday - Grownups

A group of us went to see Grownups this weekend...fun movie...my review is below...

Plot:

Three decades after winning a basketball championship as preadolescents, a group of men and their families reunite following the death of their beloved coach. There's Hollywood agent Lenny Feder (ADAM SANDLER) who's married to fashion designer Roxanne (SALMA HAYEK) and is concerned that their kids have become spoiled, what with having nanny Rita (DI QUON) at their beck and text call. While hard partier Marcus Higgins (DAVID SPADE) hasn't really grown up, Eric Lamonsoff (KEVIN JAMES) has settled down with Sally (MARIA BELLO) who still breastfeeds their 4-year-old son.Kurt McKenzie (CHRIS ROCK) is also a family man and stay-at-home dad, but must contend with being henpecked by his pregnant wife, Deanne (MAYA RUDOLPH), and her mother, Mama Ronzoni (EBONY JO-ANN). Overly dramatic Rob Hilliard (ROB SCHNEIDER), meanwhile, barely sees his young adult kids -- the gorgeous Jasmine (MADISON RILEY) & Amber (JAMIE CHUNG) and the more homely Bridget (ASHLEY LOREN) -- and instead spends time with his much older wife, Gloria (JOYCE VAN PATTEN). Following the funeral, the various men and their families head off to spend time together at a lake cabin. There, they must not only contend with various marital and familial issues, but also a group of men, including Dickie (COLIN QUINN), Wiley (STEVE BUSCEMI) and Malcolm (TIM MEADOWS), who have not forgotten losing the championship basketball game to them so long ago and want a rematch.  Rated: PG-13  Gina's Take:  Like a typical Adam Sandler movie - there are some risque moments, but, my friends and I decided this was a cleaner Adam Sandler/Rob Schneider movie compared to others.  I do not regret spending my $$ on this - but I do not think this is a movie - you HAVE to see at the theater either - you can wait till it comes out on DVD.

Movie Review Monday - Iron Man 2

My friends wanted to go and see Iron Man - so I decided to go.  I hadn't seen the first one - so we watched it before we went.  I really enjoyed it - more than I thought I would.  And I liked Iron Man 2 as well.  My review is below....

Synopsis from Screen It:

After his public admission, everyone now knows that billionaire Tony Stark (ROBERT DOWNEY JR.) is also the superhero Iron Man, and he's basking in the glory of his fame and the fact that his actions have resulted in an unusually long period of uninterrupted world peace. Yet, he has a number of detractors, including U.S. Senator Stern (GARRY SHANDLING) who wants him to turn over his high-tech flying suit to the military and allow military contractor CEO Justin Hammer (SAM ROCKWELL) to mass produce the equipment. During an Armed Services Committee hearing, Stern even gets Tony's close friend, Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Rhodes (DON CHEADLE) to read an out-of-context statement to cast doubt on having just one lone gun to protect the world.Then there's Ivan Vanko (MICKEY ROURKE), a former Russian physicist who thinks Tony's dad stole a research idea from his father -- that eventually led to the chest implant device that powers Iron Man's abilities and keeps Tony alive -- and thus wants revenge. His own work eventually leads to the creation of a similarly powered outfit, complete with long, electrified steel whips, with which he tries to kill Tony. Back at his Malibu estate, Tony has promoted his personal assistant, Pepper Potts (GWYNETH PALTROW), to CEO of his company, thus meaning the comely Natalie Rushman (SCARLETT JOHANSSON) joins his small stuff that also includes driver Happy Hogan (JON FAVREAU) and his in-home computer system, Jarvis (voice of PAUL BETTANY). As Tony contends with Ivan wanting him dead, Hammer competitively wanting to best him and Stern wanting to shut down his world-saving heroics, he must also deal with trying to find a replacement for his chest-implanted power source that is slowly killing him, as well as the presence of Nick Fury (SAMUEL L. JACKSON) who's interested in having Iron Man join a new team he's forming. Gina's Rating:  I did like it, although I liked the first one better.  I never thought I was into "guy movies", but I enjoyed this one.  Robert Downey Jr isn't bad to look at either!  If you have seen the first one, you will like the second one. Rated:  PG-13

Movie Review Monday - Letters to God

Loved, loved, loved this movie....my review is below...

Synopsis from Screen It - Things have been rough lately for the Doherty family. Not long after the sudden and unexpected passing of her husband, Maddy (ROBYN LIVELY) must now contend with the fact that her 8-year-old son, Tyler (TANNER MAGUIRE), has a rare form of brain cancer. With her mom, Olivia (MAREE CHEATHAM), now present to help out at home, Maddy is going to return to work, but Tyler's teenage brother, Ben (MICHAEL BOLTEN), is having issues with all of the bad things that have happened to his family of recent.
Also facing a hard time, albeit of a different sort, is Brady McDaniels (JEFFREY S.S. JOHNSON). He's a postal worker whose wife left him and took their young son following Brady's DUI arrest, yet the troubled man continues to drink. He also has a sour work ethic, meaning he isn't happy when he's assigned to take over the foot delivery route for another mailman who's going on an extended leave.

Brady's new post not only puts him in contact with the cantankerous Cornelius Perryfield (RALPH WAITE) who expects his mail on time every day, but also Tyler who's been sending letters addressed to God. Brady doesn't know what to do with them, but his boss says he should figure it out himself, while the local pastor tells Brady that God choose him to handle those letters. Accordingly, Brady starts to get to know and like the boy and his best friend, Sam (BAILEE MADISON), Cornelius' spunky granddaughter.

She's quite protective of Tyler, and thus doesn't take kindly to other students, such as Alex (C.J. AMARI), who make fun of Tyler when he returns to school following a break in his cancer treatment. With everyone wondering why God is making Tyler go through all of this, the boy learns that he's God's warrior, chosen to make sure everyone sees the light, with his letter writing campaign soon getting others to follow suit.

Gina's review:
Go see this and support it at the movie theater.  This is such a sweet movie.  It does have its cheesy Christian movie moments - but overall its such a precious movie.  It has a good message and tugs at the heart strings.  Make sure you bring your tissue - we had 4 people go and all 4 cried and one was a guy!

Rated - PG

Movie Review Monday - Last Song

I saw Last Song last weekend. Again, love Nicholas Sparks - but WHY must we change the movie from the book? It wasn't changed as bad as it was with Dear John - but there were still some changes. My review is below...

Synopsis from Screen It:
onnie Miller (MILEY CYRUS) is a surly teenage girl from New York who isn't happy that her mom, Kim (KELLY PRESTON), has arranged for her and her younger brother, Jonah (BOBBY COLEMAN), to spend the summer with their father, Steve (GREG KINNEAR), at his Georgia beachfront home where he's crafting a new stained glass window for the local church that recently burned down. Ronnie's attitude stems from blaming her parents' past divorce on him, and thus hasn't touched a piano since then, despite and because of being a gifted pianist just like her dad.
In fact, despite being accepted to attend Julliard, she'd rather live an aimless life and sulk, exacerbated by the fact that she'll likely be friendless for the entire summer. A local teen, Blaze (CARLY CHAIKIN), does partially befriend Ronnie, but her boyfriend Marcus (NICK LASHAWAY) is a jerk. Then there's Will Blakelee (LIAM HEMSWORTH), another local teen who's something of a jack of all trades. When not working in an auto shop with his friend Scott (HALLOCK BEALS), he's playing volleyball or serving as a volunteer at the nearby aquarium.

Ronnie initially wants nothing to do with him, but the fact that he's taken an interest in protecting a nest of sea turtle eggs -- just like her -- eventually wears down her defenses. The two quickly become friends and then more. Yet, Ronnie must then contend not only with facts and rumors about him, but also an unexpected family crisis that forces her to grow up.


Gina's Take: It was a cheesy movie in some parts. I was really looking forward to this movie but was not blown away by it. I had read the book and knew what was going to happen (for the most part). Teenage girls will love it and trust me - they will need tissues - I had brought tissues because I heard it was sad...I did not use them - but I did hand it to the girl who had mascara running down her face :). Wait for the $1 movie or rent it...

Rated: PG

Movie Review Monday...a little late :)

So, its Tuesday....but my Monday was busy.  I actually should have done this a few weeks ago...my review of Remember Me....

Synopisis from Screen It:

Tyler Hawkins (ROBERT PATTINSON) is a rebellious college student still grieving the loss of his older brother, who committed suicide years earlier. The young man quarrels with his wealthy, Type A father, Charles (PIERCE BROSNAN); is fiercely protective of his mother, Diane (LENA OLIN) and shy, little sister Caroline (RUBY JERINS); and becomes smitten with Ally (EMILIE DE RAVIN), a classmate who also is still smarting from a tragedy that happened years earlier -- the murder of her mother right in front of her.The problem is Tyler has begun the relationship under false pretenses. After a night of drinking, he gets into an alley fight and ends up getting beaten and jailed by Ally's cop father, Neil (CHRIS COOPER). Tyler's roommate Aidan (TATE ELLINGTON) hatches the brilliant idea that Tyler will romance Ally and then dump her to get back at Neil. When Tyler indeed starts to have real feelings for the woman and realizes she has been through just as much as he has in his young life, the guilt starts to eat away at him. At the same time, tensions with his father continue to boil and troubles at school threaten to derail Caroline. Eventually, the boy has to grow to be a man and help heal the fractures all around him even as the city in which he lives blindly moves forward to a day that will change all of their lives. Gina's Take:  STAY AWAY!!  I hated this movie.  Not only me, but my other 9 friends that went with me as well.  No one liked it.  It is portrayed as a romantic drama - its more angst then romance.  It was such a depressing movie with complicated characters that are so sad...its not uplifting at all. Rated:  PG-13

Movie Review Monday - Valentine's Day

Went and saw Valentine's Day on Valentine's Day with some friends from church I have mixed feelings about this movie.  I loved seeing all the stars in it but it was lacking something for me.  Now everyone that went with me - liked it for the most part.

From Plugged In Online:
Think about overlapping circles for a second. Or maybe hearts.

Those images offer the best visual metaphor for a movie like Valentine's Day. The storytelling premise is one of compounding interest: If a romantically challenged couple can make for a compelling tale, how much more interesting might a dozen be?

And what could be a better hook than the emotional travails provoked by the year's most romantic day? One lovelorn tale intersects another, then another, then another, and, well, it all picks up speed as this angst-filled saga arrows toward its predestined happy ending.

The hub that connects the narrative spokes (there's another visual image in case my first ones didn't work for you) in this particular ensemble comedy is an L.A. flower shop owned by a guy named Reed. Reed's on cloud nine after proposing on Valentine's Day morning to his girlfriend, Morely—a beautiful woman everyone but Reed knows is going to say no.

But she says yes.

So it's the best Valentine's Day ever.

Until Morely shows up at the bustling flower shop later that morning … sans ring. And sporting a case of seriously cold feet.

Game on. Game off. Such is the game of love.

It's a maddening experience not only for Reed, but for virtually every other character. There's Reed's longtime friend Julia, for example, who's finally found the man of her dreams: a dashing doctor who's equally into her … or so it seems. On the other end of the dating spectrum is Kara, a successful publicist whose love life is as bland as her professional life is sweet.

And on and on it goes as we're introduced to the rich and the not so rich, the young and the not so young, the straight and the gay, the beautiful and … the beautiful—all pursuing the most elusive of quarry: true love.

Cupid, it turns out, doesn't discriminate in the way he inflicts pain upon those locked in his sights. Which is pretty much everybody in Valentine's Day. 


Gina's Review:  Again - I am a little indifferent.  Didn't like all story lines, liked a couple.  Loved the stars.  I do not regret going to see it - but I will not buy it or go see it again.  Its just ok to me.  I am glad I went to a matinee.


Rating:  PG 13

Did you go and see it?  Did you like it?

Movie Review Monday...a little late :)

So, I went to see Dear John on the opening night.  I read the book before I went - I have always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks books.  Good book, movie was disappointing.  Why do they insist on changing the movie from the book?  Makes no sense to me.  My review is below...

Synopsis from Screen It:
John Tyree (CHANNING TATUM) is a sergeant in the Army Special Forces who's on leave and thus staying with his dad (RICHARD JENKINS) at their South Carolina home. The two don't have much to talk about -- what with John not knowing how to deal with his father's social interaction issues and obsessive fixation on collecting coins -- and thus the soldier spends much of his time surfing. It's at the beach that he meets Savannah Curtis (AMANDA SEYFRIED), a pretty college girl who's home on spring break.After John rescues her bag when it falls into the ocean -- much to the chagrin of Randy (SCOTT PORTER) who obviously likes her -- the two are instantly smitten and quickly become a romantic item over the next two weeks. She ends up becoming attached to his dad, while he takes a liking to her longtime friend, Tim (HENRY THOMAS), and his young, autistic son, Alan (BRAEDEN REED). When John returns overseas to serve under the command of Captain Stone (KEITH ROBINSON) and Savannah heads back to school, the two agree to keep in constant contact via handwritten letters. Yet, as time passes and an unexpected development shakes the nation and world, the two must contend with growing apart and the possibility that keeping their long distance relationship going might be harder than they imagined.

Gina's Take: The movie was just ok. They changed at least 4 MAJOR things from the book -so that made it just ok to me (and the fact that the theater was packed and we were on the 2nd row - makes it a little hard to watch and enjoy too). Channing Tatum is a very attractive man - I will give you that one. The group I went with had mixed reviews. While some loved it, most thought it was just ok. Bring your tissues - you might cry (some in my group did, the cold hearted ones like myself did not ;) ). Gina's


Rating: Go to the $1 movie or a matinee to see it - its good to see in the theater but don't spend $9.25 for it. Rated PG-13

Movie Review Monday - Did You Hear About the Morgans?

I saw Did You Hear About The Morgan's?  in the big city of Pigeon Forge after Christmas...my synopsis is below.

Movie Synopsis (from Screen It):
Paul (HUGH GRANT) and Meryl Morgan (SARAH JESSICA PARKER) are so successful in their careers in New York City -- he's a lawyer while she runs her own real estate firm -- that they require personal assistants -- Adam (JESSE LIEBMAN) for him and Jackie (ELISABETH MOSS) for her -- just to make it through the day. Yet, they've now been separated for three months due to him cheating on her, a mistake for which he wants to make amends. While out for the evening, they happen to witness a murder committed by Vincent (MICHAEL KELLY), a hitman working for an international arms dealer. The Feds realize the couple will likely now be targets themselves, and thus put them into the witness relocation program, eventually depositing them just outside a small town in Wyoming.
There, and with new last names, they end up staying with U.S. Marshal and local sheriff Clay Wheeler (SAM ELLIOT) along with his gun-toting wife, Emma (MARY STEENBURGEN), with Meryl pretending to be Clay's cousin from Chicago. As they get used to the remote living -- including the presence of grizzly bears -- and small town life -- where Doc Simmons (DAVID CALL) and Nurse Kelly (KIM SHAW) are the only medical practitioners and the owner of the lone restaurant, Earl Granger (WILFORD BRIMLEY), has already indoctrinated his granddaughter, Lucy (GRACIE BEA LAWRENCE), into being suspicious of big city folk -- the Morgans must also contend with being stuck together.
As they await their new, separate relocations, their relationship continues to change, all as Vincent tries to figure out where they've been sent, find them, and put an end to their lives as protected witnesses.


Gina's Take:
This movie was just ok.  It started out slow and the bickering does get on your nerves after awhile.  Not much chemisty between Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant either.  I went with 6 people and most thought it was just ok and a few hated it.

Gina's Rating:
Rent it - don't waste your $$$!
Rated PG-13 - mainly for violence 

Movie Review Monday - The Blind Side

Went and saw The Blind Side the week of Christmas...what a movie!

Movie Synposis (from Screen It):

Leigh Anne Touhy (SANDRA BULLOCK) is a confident woman with a profitable business as a home designer, a good husband in restaurateur Sean (TIM McGRAW), and proud mother to teen Collins (LILY COLLINS) and her younger and quite precocious brother, S.J. (JAE HEAD). She's used to getting what she wants, but does so with a heaping of southern charm that prevents others from harboring any bad feelings toward her. When she sees teenager Michael Oher (QUINTON AARON) walking along in the cold without proper attire, and not only learns that he attends the same Christian school where S.J. is a student, but has also been sleeping in the gym there due to his mom being a drug addict, Leigh Anne decides without hesitation that he should stay with them.
She isn't the only one interested in him, however, as Coach Cotton (RAY McKINNON) realizes the teen's immense size could come in quite handy on the football team. The only problems are Michael knows little about how to play the game, is perhaps too passive in training, and doesn't have the grades or reading ability to be on the squad.
Even so, and with both the Touhys and various teachers' help, Michael progresses both in the classroom and on the field, eventually drawing the attention of college recruiters. With his grades needing more help, however, Leigh Anne hires tutor Miss Sue (KATHY BATES) to get him ready for college, but they must all contend with several obstacles that threaten to undermine their work and his future potential.

Gina's Take:  Run to see this movie.  It is so great.  Its a true story (after watching a special on 20/20 about it - some of the story is exaggerated and fiction - but for the most part it is true).  Sandra Bullock is getting Oscar buzz for it and Tim McGraw is always nice to look at.  It is such a heartwarming story - loved, loved, loved it!

Gina's Rating - A+ - its worth the $9.25 you will spend on the ticket!

Movie Review Monday - Sherlock Holmes

I saw Sherlock Holmes a few weeks ago...my review is below...

Synopsis (from Screen It):

It's the 19th century and eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (ROBERT DOWNEY JR.) and his more reserved doctor colleague, Dr. John Watson (JUDE LAW), have used both brains and brawn to stop a murderous cult leader, Lord Blackwood (MARK STRONG), from claiming another victim, thus beating Inspector Lestrade (EDDIE MARSAN) and his Scotland Yard team, including Constable Clark (WILLIAM HOUSTON), to that achievement. Three months later, the reclusive Holmes is hunkered down in his house working on his latest invention while Watson is seeing his girlfriend, Mary Morstan (KELLY REILLY). Holmes sees the doctor settling down as a threat to their partnership, but then again his past involvement with Irene Adler (RACHEL McADAMS) ended up with her marrying someone else.
After Blackwood's execution, however, the odd couple detective team realizes they have bigger issues with which they must face -- notably the cult leader's apparent return from beyond the grave. As Holmes and Watson try to figure out how that's possible -- leading to a secret society headed by Blackwood's father, Sir Thomas (JAMES FOX) -- and Irene returns to hire the duo for what initially appears to be an unrelated case, the two men must deduce what's really happening before Blackwood carries out his nefarious plan. 

Gina's Take:  I really went to see this for socialization purposes - but ended up really liking it.  Robert Downey Jr is great in it (and not bad to look at, as well as Jude Law) It has a lot of magic and sorcery in it - but of course its a good vs. evil thing.  And of course they have set it up for a sequel.  I will go and see the sequel.  

Gina's Rating - go see it - its worth the 9.25.  Good movie!
Rated - PG13

Movie Review Monday - All About Steve

I went and saw this the weekend it came out - a little behind in my blogging...

Synopsis (from Screen It) -
Mary Horowitz (SANDRA BULLOCK) creates weekly crossword puzzles for the Sacramento Herald but doesn't have any sort of personal life. The fact that she lives at home with her parents (BETH GRANT and HOWARD HESSMAN) while her place is fumigated certainly doesn't help matters, and she isn't looking forward to the blind date they've arranged for her.


That changes, however, when she sets eyes on Steve Gunders (BRADLEY COOPER), a cameraman for the CCN TV network who works with producer Angus (KEN JEONG) getting reporter Hartman Hughes (THOMAS HADEN CHURCH) on the air. Immediately smitten, she tries seducing him in the first minutes of their date, and while he's sort of into that, her non-stop talking and trivia dropping quickly changes his mind. Fortunately for him, an urgent work call means he has to leave, but not before saying something she takes out of context as meaning he's interested in her when he really isn't.
The next day, her crossword puzzle is all about him, resulting in her boss firing her. Yet, in her mind, that frees her up to join Steve on the road, and thus she sets off to find him as his team covers the latest breaking new stories for their boss, Danny (KEITH DAVID). After she barely misses them when a hostage situation is resolved, she follows them to another location where they're covering the news story of a girl born with three legs.
There, she meets a number of protestors, including Elizabeth (KATY MIXON) and Howard (DJ QUALLS), who want the girl to keep her limbs. When not the on air competing with rival reporter Vasquez (JASON JONES) for that and other stories, Hartman decides to mess with Mary by leading her on that Steve truly is into her, and that anything he says to the contrary is just him being insecure.
From that point on, and as they end up traveling around the country, Mary continues with her belief that she's meant to be with Steve, all as his horror of being stalked continues to grow.

Gina's Take:
This movie was just ok to me.  Although my friend, Karen, loved it!  It did have a lot of laughs - but I needed something more.

Gina's Rating - its a renter or a $1 movie night.  You won't regret seeing it - but it is a little silly at times. 
 
Rated - PG-13 for sexual innuendos

Movie Review Monday - Time Travelers Wife

Another movie that came out in August- I was super excited to see this because the trailer looked so good. I even read the book at the beach before I went to see the movie. My review is below...

Synopsis (from Screen It) -

Henry DeTamble (ERIC BANA) discovers at an early age that he has the power to time travel. He narrowly escapes a fiery car crash that claims his mother's (MICHELLE NOLDEN) life and is promptly greeted by his adult self as they watch the crash happen from a distance. Young Henry learns that his condition is a genetic one that he can't control.

During one time-shift as an adult, he is deposited into a bucolic meadow where he meets 6-year-old Clare (BROOKLYNN PROULX), who sees him as a sort of magic man and falls instantly in love. Years later, an adult Clare (RACHEL McADAMS) sees an even younger Henry than the one she first met as a child working in a Chicago library. She decides to tell him of their amazing past together. They fall in love, let a few friends and family members in on Henry's secret (most notably, mutual pal Gomez played by RON LIVINGSTON), and ultimately get married.

The marriage, though, proves hard on Clare. She doesn't know when Henry will be there or when he'll leave. She often spends holidays alone. But her love for him is great, and she wants to have Henry's child. But each time they conceive, Clare miscarries because the fetus carries the same genetic anomaly as Henry.

At the same time, the couple is haunted by a brief episode in which a bloody Henry time-travels into their living room, suffering from a fatal gunshot would. Just as quick as he arrives, he then disappears leaving them shaken and wondering how much time they still have together. Henry fears for Clare's future and his own and subsequently takes drastic steps to protect her.

Gina's take...Wow was I disappointed in this movie. The trailer won me over months before it came out and I was determined to go and see this. I went with some ladies from work and a couple of my friends - they were all disappointed. I could follow the movie because I had read the book (which of course was different from the book), but everyone else was lost most of the time.

Gina's Rating...Will you regret seeing this at the movies? maybe (I do not regret it because I read the book, I think everyone else did though). Is it a must see at the movies? NO - its definitely a renter - do not waster your $.

Rated: PG-13 for language and nudity (When Henry travels through time, his clothes stay behind. When he reappears, he is naked. Most of the time, he is shown from the waist up. But we do see his bare buttocks after one of his first time-shifts in the film and then a second time (very briefly) later in the film.).

Movie Review Monday - Julie and Julia

A few weeks ago I went and saw Julie and Julia...here is my review!

Synopsis from Screen It -

It's 1949 and Julia Child (MERYL STREEP) has moved to Paris with her husband Paul (STANLEY TUCCI). He's busy working as an exhibits officer with the United States Information Agency, but she's bored and needs something to fill her time. After some unsuccessful ventures, she decides upon taking up French cooking, what with her love of eating that cuisine but inability to find any French cookbooks that have been translated into English.

After getting into the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school run by the snooty Madame Brassart (JOAN JULIET BUCK), Julia eventually meets Simone Beck (LINDA EMOND) and Louisette Bertholle (HELEN CAREY), and the three women decide to write an English language version of a French cookbook.

Little do they know that their work will later inspire and change the life of someone many decades later in 2002. She's Julie Powell (AMY ADAMS), a government call center agent who responds to citizen inquiries about most anything related to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. That line of work gets her down, as does her recent move with her husband Eric (CHRIS MESSINA) to a small apartment above a pizza parlor in Queens.

It's Eric who convinces her she should blog about her experiences, and she decides she'll do one about cooking, what with thinking she's found a kindred spirit in Julia Child. Giving herself a one-year deadline, she sets out to make every recipe in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook, getting support not only from Paul and her best friend, Sarah (MARY LYNN RAJSKUB), but also the growing number of readers following her blog.

As she continues her quest and must contend with various obstacles and setbacks, the story alternates between her tale and that of Child who strives to get her cookbook written and published.

Gina's take...I loved this movie - its just a feel good movie (for women, I do not think that guys would enjoy this). I went by myself to a matinee and was one of about 9 women in there. It had lots of laughter in it. As Ms. Gail in my office said, "it was delightful" and she was right!

Gina's rating...Will you regret seeing this at the movies (if it is still out)? NO! This movie will make you smile! Is it a must see at the movies? Yes! It came out over a month ago, so it is probably only showing during limited times or at the $1 theater - which is even better! If you cannot go and see it, rent it - you will not regret it!!!

Rated - PG-13 (language)

Movie Review Monday - Love Happens

I have been going to the movies a lot lately so I thought I would do "movie review Monday"!! Friday night some girls from church and I went to see Love Happens with Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart.

Synopsis (from Screen It)-

Burke Ryan (AARON ECKHART) is a widower of three years who accidentally parlayed his grief into a successful career as a grief counselor and motivational speaker. In fact, he's so good at what he does, his manager, Lane Marshall (DAN FOGLER), is on the verge of landing a potentially lucrative business deal to market Burke's work and brand.

Yet, Burke isn't happy that meeting or his next seminar will take place in Seattle. After all, that's where he and his wife once lived, and he's had no contact with her parents, including her ex-Marine dad (MARTIN SHEEN), since a car accident took her life. Even so, Burke is committed to helping his clients, such as Walter (JOHN CARROLL LYNCH), a former contractor whose 12-year-old son died in a past accident.

Knowing that Burke is solely focused on his work, Lane encourages him to get out there and live. Taking that advice to heart, Burke decides to approach Eloise Chandler (JENNIFER ANISTON) who runs a florist shop with her lone employee, Marty (JUDY GREER), and delivers arrangements to the hotel where Burke's A-Okay seminar is being held.

As they get to awkwardly know each other, Eloise eventually realizes that while Burke is successful at helping others, he's never fully helped himself. From that point on, she tries to convince him to take some of his own medicine and advice so that he can finally move on with his life.

Gina's take...I thought it was a great movie. It was a sappy romantic/drama. I went with 8 other girls and 7/8 liked the movie (I even heard some guys behind us say they liked it too). There were laughs and tears in this movie (yes some of the girls pulled the tissue out).

Gina's Rating...will you regret seeing this at the movies? no. Is it a must see at the movies? no - you can rent it and save the $.

Rated - PG-13 for some language

Next week...Julie and Julia (unless I go to the movies this weekend and see Fame)